Free event for people looking to get on the property ladder

A free event takes place at County Hall, Trowbridge next month to help support and advise people who are looking to get a foot on the property ladder.

The Help to Buy Homes Event, supported by Wiltshire Council, takes place on 8 October from 3.30pm to 7pm with free entry for everyone.

Whether people are looking to buy or rent there will be information available on a range of affordable options and help to search and apply for a new home through the help to buy schemes.

The options available include:
• Equity loan scheme
• Rental schemes via Wiltshire Council’s Open Market Register
• Shared ownership
• Shared ownership resales
Most of the above schemes only require a five percent deposit meaning owning a house can be a realistic option for those people who previously thought it was not.

Housing associations will be showcasing the properties they have available to buy on the Shared Ownership scheme and Independent Financial Advisors (IFAs) will be able to give a free financial assessment.

Whether people are actively exploring their home ownership options or just want a chat with the professionals about how the Help to Buy schemes work, all are welcome to come along and find out more.

The Homes4Wiltshire team will also be present at the event to discuss Wiltshire Council’s Open Market Register which allows households to register for housing options even if they do not have an immediate housing need. Since the recent allocation policy was introduced, the council has operated an Open Market Register – a separate list from the council’s Housing Register, including housing applicants without a housing need or who own their own home.

People may seek to register on the Open Market Register even if they are not in housing need and are interested in low demand properties or Low Cost Home Ownership options. They will be considered eligible if they have a local connection to Wiltshire Council’s area (residency, employment or family connections) and do not have more than £60K household income each year. The Homes4Wiltshire team will be happy to speak to anyone who has any questions or would like to register.

A significant number of low demand properties, particularly those designated for people aged 50+ and sheltered housing, are let to those on the Open Market Register.

Wiltshire Council corporate director, Maggie Rae said: “There are people in Wiltshire who desperately want to own their own home but perhaps feel they are not in a position to do so.

“However, as this event will demonstrate, there are many options open to them and lots of support available to help families realise their dream.”

Wiltshire Council cabinet member for housing, Jonathon Seed said: “This is a really important housing event for the many residents of Wiltshire who do not qualify for social housing and who do not feel that they can afford to buy a house on the open market, but who aspire to own their own house. This event will show people just how they can realise their dreams and aspirations of local home ownership.

“We are therefore really pleased to be hosting and supporting this event. A local thriving property market brings with it many opportunities for our residents and can only be a good thing for Wiltshire, so the more people we can help get on the property ladder, the better.

“There are help to buy schemes available to suit all sorts of circumstances so I would encourage people to pop along to the event and see what options there are.”

A free ticket for the event can be downloaded at www.helptobuyshow.co.uk where more information is also available. Alternatively, to find out more, people should call 0800 456 11 88.

Report this
If you feel this post is unsuitable or offensive, report it to us